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C. H PAYNE. RAILROAD TRACK GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6. I918v Patented May 13, 19M).

M'fiwes'ses 0. 21. PAYNE. 'HMLROAD TRACK GUARD. AEPLICJWION FILED AUG-6.1918.

Patented May 13, 1919.

CHARLES H. rarnn, or sonn rnnnns enn, nssre nor. or one-inmate 'ro Jorrn a. cure.

f y or sonny, rnnnnssnn.

mull-Mill Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May i3, rare.

Application filed August 6, 1918. V Serial No. 245,568.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. PAYNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Soddy, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Track Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to a track guard and has for its object to provide a device to be placed across a railroad track below the surface of the rails for the purpose of protecting the right of way by preventing animals from crossing the track, or wandering along the line of the track and so be endangered by passing trains. To this end the invention comprises a movable platform extendlng be "tween and on each side of the rails of the track which will be depressed and at the same time move in the direction of or in line withformation, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, particularly pointed. out in the claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the im' proved track guard.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

'Fig. 3 is a Vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view on the line l l of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of the same figure. p

In the drawings, there is shown a foundation 10 built below the rails 11 of the track and comprising two side walls 12, an end wall 13 connecting the side walls at one end and a similar end wall 14% joining the side walls at the opposite ends. This foundation which is rectangular in form may be built of ti1nber,"metal or concrete as conditions dictate. 'lhc rails 11 cross end walls 13 and 14 and are supported thereon by the usual cross ties 15, further support is given the rails between the end walls by piers l6 whlch extend upwardly to the base of the rails as extends entirely across the foundation be tween the rails of the track and toe. suitable distance beyond the sides thereof. The beam 20 is made in twoparts for convenience and to permit the bearing block 18 to extend therebetweel'i.

Mounted in one side of the beam 520 are a number of posts 21 which, in the normal position of the device, lie in a siiibstantially horizontal position parallel with the track and across the end wall 14 of the foundation. The posts 21 in the position indicated lie below the base of the rails 11 and 1n ay be socured to the beam 20 in an y convenient manner and in the present instance they are shown to be fastened by bolts 22 passing into the beam, which latter as will be soon also 'lies below the level of the rails.

walls 12 of the foundation near the end wall- 13. Jcmrnalcd.within these hearings are pintlcs 2-l of a rectangular rocking shait 9.5 ex tending across the foundation and having several openings or notches 26 formed therein vparallel to the rails 11. These openings 26 preferably extend upwardly to and through the top of'the shaft and are used. in a man.- ncr hereinafter described.

Between the beam. "20 and the shaft and. overhanging the shaft is a movable pltkll'llollll 27, formed of a plurality of iongiti'ulinal sill pieces parallel. to each other and pivotally connected at 29 to the inner side of the beam 20. The opposite ends or? the sill pieces are supported on the rocking shaft and slide freely'tlncnigh the o 'ienings or depressions 26 formed therein. The sliding ends of the sills are held in the openings 26 by cap plates 30 extending across the openings and bolted on each side to the top of the shaft. These cap plates are further secured against removal by unlawful persons by means of hook bolts 31 engaging slots 32 in the plates 30, the stems of said bolts passing through openings in lugs 33 projecting from the shaft 25. Padlocks 34 are connected to the hook bolts below the lugs and so prevent their removal,

. beam 20, the intervening space between said gas beam and the floor of the platform being closedby boards or other filling pieces 36.

To maintain the movable platform in its normal horizontal position, weights 37 are suspended from supports attached to the beam 20 on the side opposite the platform, these weights being adjusted proportionate to the average weight of the animals liable todepress the platform, such as cattle and shee Td prevent tampering with the bearing blocks 17 and 23, means are provided to extend over said boxes and be locked in such position and thus prevent the fastening bolts being removed. This locking means is here shown in the form of a strip of wood or metal 38 arranged to bear upon the side wall 12 of the foundation, there being one of these strips at each side of the device. The ends of the strip 38 fit over the bearing blocks 17 and 23 of the same side and so cover completely the fastening bolts of the bearings. Each strip 38 is hinged at 39 to the side 12, so that the strip may be swung outwardly ,when the bearings are to be removed or when a lubricant is to be applied. To hold the strips in their operative position, wedges 40 are mounted in staples 41 on the outer side of the wall 12, these wedges extending to the top of the strip and bear against the outer side thereof. Padlocks 42 fastened in openings in the wedges below one of the staples prevent removal of these wedges, while chains 43 connected to the wedges and the wall insure against loss of the wedges. For protection, standards 44 project upwardly from the top of the strips 38 as shown in the drawings.

In the position shown by full lines the movable 'parts are in horizontal position whereby the rails are clear to permit the passage of a train When an animal steps upon the platform 27, however, the weight of the animal will cause the platform 27 to be depressed, the beam 20 swinging on its pintles 19 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. This action of the beam 20 causes the post 21 to be thrown upwardly to a substantially vertical position thereby formlng a barrier. l

Inasmuch as the platform 2 ms its sill pieces 28, hingedly connected as at 29 to the'beam 20 it will be obvious that the platform will swing downwardly and longitudinally to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, the members 28 sliding through the notches 26. The turning movement of the beam 20 will also swing the weights 37 upwardly since these Weights are lighter than the animal but heavier than the various parts which comprise the platform. As soon as the animal withdraws from the platform the weights 37 will swing downwardly and thereby re turn the parts to normal position.

While shown in connection with a single track road, this guard, as is evident, may be used on roads with two or more tracks b extending the width of the parts or simply by duplication.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, ma-

terials, dimensions, expedient and fall appended claim.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a track guard,a movable platform extending across a railroad track below the same, aplurality of parallel sills forming a part of said platform, a rocking shaft extending across and below the track and having a series of depressions therein forming seats for said sills to permit the platform sliding freely across the shaft, a rocking beam also extending across and below the track at the opposite end-of the platform to which said platform is hinged eccentrically of the axis of the beam, counter balancing means connected to said beam for holding the platform normally in horizontal position, and a gate forming a part of said beam also normally maintained below the track, the parts being so arranged that when undulyweighted the hinged end of the platform will be depressed, the platform simultaneously moved horizontally in the line of the track, and the gate be swung upwardly across the track.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. PAYNE.

et cetera, as may prove within the'scope' of the Witnesses:

J. R. NEUMAN, J. T. HALLETT. 

